New Evaluation Personnel
Orientation (2013-2014)
Welcome to HISD!!
Dr. Rebecca Martinez
Dr. Shuk Wa Wong
Agenda—The Big Picture
• Ground Norms
• Welcome and Introductions
• HISD & OSES Organizational Structures
• District Goals
• OSES Priorities
• Sources of Special Education Rules and
Regulations
• Child Study Procedures and Resources
• Tips for the Year
Ground Norms
• Listen to each other.
• Honor the ideas and opinions of your
colleagues.
• Be an active participant.
• Be open to new ideas and new learning.
• Offer to help.
• HAVE FUN!!
Welcome and Introductions
• How long have you lived in Houston?
• Have you worked for HISD before? If so, in
what role and for how many years?
• Why did you choose the field of special
education…..and more specifically, the role of
educational diagnostician or LSSP?
• Graduate programs differ in how educational
diagnosticians or LSSPs are prepared. In what
area did your program do a very good job? In
what area did your program drop the ball?
Houston ISD Organizational
Structure
Office of Special Education
Services
Assistant Superintendent Office of Special
Education Services
Sowmya Kumar
Instructional
Programs
Joan
Anderson
Child Study
Compliance
Michael
Webb
Ardalia
Idlebird
ARD/IEP
&
Related
Services
Sharon
ColeBraxton
Assistive
Technology
&
OT/PT
Beth
Goodrich
Elementary,
Middle, High
School
Programs
• Mary Kay Hefty
• Susan
Pansmith
• Cynthia Moore
• Toni PompaRodriguez
• Susan Hurta
Charter
Schools
&
Community/
Alternative
Education
Holly Ortego
District Goals
• Dr. Greer
• Other assistant superintendents
District Core Values
CORE VALUES: Define Who We Are
• Safety Above All Else—Safety takes precedence over
all else. A safe environment must be provided for every
student and employee.
• Student Learning Is the Main Thing—All decisions and
actions, at any level, focus on and support “the main
thing”: effective student learning.
• Focus on Results and Excellence—Each employee
focuses on results and excellence in individual and
organizational efforts.
District Core Values
• Parents Are Partners—Parents are valued partners in
the educational process, serving as the child’s teacher in
the home. All school and district activities will give proper
consideration to the involvement of parents.
• Common Decency—The district shall be responsive and
accountable to the public and its employees. Community
members and employees shall receive respectful and
courteous treatment.
• Human Capital—Through recruitment, retention,
dismissal, and professional-development programs, the
district will work to make sure students are served by the
top talent available, from teachers to superintendents
OSES Priorities
• Student Outcomes
 STAAR Results
 Disproportionality
 Discipline
• Data Integrity
 Section 504
 Dyslexia
• Compliance
 SPP 11
 SPP 12
Legal Foundation
CASE SCENARIO
Case Scenario
• You just completed an initial evaluation for a
second grade student who was referred for
autism evaluation. When you helped contact
the parent to schedule an ARD to go over the
evaluation results, parent indicated that she
worked two jobs and could only attend the
meeting at 6:00 pm after work at her house
because she had no childcare for her younger
children. How would you address the situation?
Where would you find the legal foundation for
your decision?
Texas Education Agency
Special Education Legal Framework
RULES AND
REGULATIONS
Texas Education Agency
• http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
Education Laws and Rules
Click on Special Education
• Prior Written Notice (example)
Region 18 ESC
• Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process
 http://framework.esc18.net/display/Webforms/Land
ingPage.aspx
• Also found on the Region 18 ESC website
 Notice of Procedural Safeguards
 Guide to the ARD Process
 Side-by-Side: Special Education Rules and
Regulations
Installing the Toolbar
SPECIAL EDUCATION
TOOLBAR
Installing the Data Toolbar
• Enter the following website address and look for
the Data Toolbar link (listed in the “Blogroll”).
 http://hisdsped.wordpress.com
• Install the toolbar by clicking on the link and
following directions.
• Check the Toolbar for 3 minutes and share
some of the sites and features you visited
CHILD STUDY AND LSSP
SHAREPOINT
OPERATING GUIDELINES
SPECIAL EDUCATION
WEBSITE
Getting Started and Staying on Track
TIPS FOR THE YEAR
First Things First
• Get to know your MDT colleagues at each of
your schools.
• Introduce yourself to the principal.
• Connect with the program specialists at each of
your schools. Get to know your lead
diagnostician or lead LSSP.
• Go to Easy IEP and generate your reevaluation case load.
• Meet with the MDT members to develop a
reevaluation test schedule for the year.
First Things First …..Continued
• Schedule an appointment with Regenia Harris to get your
test kits and load your computers with the testing or
scoring software.
• Submit a Test Materials Request to order the protocols
you will need.
• Know where to find important forms:
 Consent
 Reevaluation packet
 Request forms for LSSP, Bilingual Diagnostician,
Interpreter, Nurse Consultant, Medical Evaluation,
OT/PT, IEE
 Medical release forms
 IAT and 504 forms
• Submit mileage reimbursement every 200 miles.
• Dress Code
Additional Evaluation Services
REQUESTS FOR SERVICES
How to Request Services for …
• Bilingual Evaluation
• LSSP Request Form
• Medical Evaluation
• Interpreters
• Nurse Consultant
• OT/PT Services
• Audiological Evaluation
Evaluation Procedures
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
RtI and IAT
• Access the RtI/IAT blog by via the SPED Blog
on the Toolbar.
 http://hisdrti.com/
Timelines—HISD Internal
Policies
• Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE)
 Written report shall be completed not later than
the 45th calendar day from the date consent was
signed.
 ARD/IEP meeting shall be held not later than 15
calendar days or on/before the first day of
school if evaluated over the summer.
Responsibilities
• What are the responsibilities of the
diagnostician and LSSP?
• Being the Evaluation Case Manager
• Responsibilities Charts
Responsibilities (continued)
• What are the responsibilities of the LSSP?
 Evaluation
 Counseling/Psychological Services as a Related
Service
 MDR
 Behavioral Consultation and FBA
 Intervention—MTSS/Alternatives to Suspension
 Provide Support to IAT and Self-Contained
Classes
 Provide Training to Teachers and Parents
Self-Contained ClassroomsExercise
Previous
Current
Preschool Program for Children
with Disabilities (PPCD)
Structured Learning Class (SLC)
Behavior Support Class (BSC)
Preparing Students for
Independence Class (PSI)
Structured Learning Class (SLC) Skills for Learning and Living
Class (SLL)
Life Skills Class
Preschoolers Achieving
Learning Skills (PALS)
Multiple Impairment (MI) Class
Behavior Support Class (BSC)
Self-Contained Classrooms-Answer
Previous
Current
Structured Learning Class (SLC) Structured Learning Class
(SLC)—no change
Multiple Impairment (MI) Class
Preparing Students for
Independence Class (PSI)
Life Skills Class
Skills for Learning and Living
Class (SLL)
Preschool Program for Children
with Disabilities (PPCD)
Preschoolers Achieving
Learning Skills (PALS)
Behavior Support Class (BSC)
Behavior Support Class (BSC)—
no change
Process Flowcharts
• 504/Special Education
• ADD/ADHD Identification
• Request for Counseling/Psychological Services
as an IEP Related Service
• https://hisdoses.wikispaces.com/OSES+Operati
ng+Guidelines
Share Out
What is one Take Away
from today’s training?